OBITUARY: Douglas Alan Pensinger

Douglas Alan Pensinger, age 51, died of cardiac arrest in his sleep on June 10, 2016, at home in Golden, Colorado.

Douglas Alan Pensinger

Douglas Alan Pensinger, age 51, died of cardiac arrest in his sleep on June 10, 2016, at home in Golden, Colorado.

He was born on Dec. 30, 1964 to Thomas R. and Leatha J. Pensinger of Greencastle. He is survived by his wife of 25 years Bettyann Heppler, his daughter Devan Rae Heppler Pensinger (21), his father Thomas R. Pensinger and his sister Kim Pensinger Witman.

Doug was an extraordinarily dedicated father and husband. His profession was very demanding, but he never sacrified his devotion to his family. He had great generosity of spirit, and his friendship and mentorship touched many peoples' lives.

An avid outdoorsman, skier and cyclist, Doug moved to Colorado with his family in 2005 to follow those passions. He enjoyed skiing year-round in the mountains, and he could regularly be found on his mountain bike or taking part in long-distance cycling rides — including Ride the Rockies, Steamboat and Denver Centuries, the Tour of the Moon and Copper Triangle.

At the time of his death, Doug was a staff photographer for Getty Images Editorial Sport. He was widely respected and admired as a leader in his profession. He has been published in every major sports magazine and most major media outlets, and he has published many thousands of images over the years. His work ethic was an inspiration to his peers, and although he was well-respected, he did not pursue recognition but sought only to document history and evoke emotions for sports that he loved.

He started his professional photography career at age 15 as a freelancer for the Chambersburg, PA Public Opinion and later shot for the Santa Barbara News Press while studying at the Brooks Institute of Photography. His subsequent freelance career included contributions to publications like The Washington Post, The Associated Press, TIME Magazine and Sports Illustrated. From there he became a staff photographer for the Army Times Publishing Company, photographing important historical events such as the invasion of Panama, the Gulf War, unrest in Bosnia and humanitarian aid in Somalia. At the same time he took freelance sport assignments for Allsport Photography, which was eventually acquired by Getty Images — where he would turn his eye to sports photography full time for the next 17 years.

In his career, Doug captured both some of the biggest events of the four major sports in the United States and some of the least-known niche sports in far away places. He has covered Olympic Games, World Championships, Tour de France races, World Cups, World Series and Super Bowls.

A memorial celebration will be held at Evergreen Lake House, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen, CO 80439 on Tuesday, June 28 from 2 to 5 p.m.

A memorial scholarship fund is being established, and details will be available at dougpensinger.com when available.

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